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Pteris vittata is an arsenic (As) hyperaccumulator that can accumulate several thousand mg As kg

Rapid global industrialization has resulted in widespread cadmium contamination in agricultural soils and products. A considerable proportion of rice consumers are exposed to Cd levels above the provisional safe intake limit, raising widespread environmental concerns on risk management. Therefore, a generalized approach is urgently needed to enable correct evaluation and early warning of cadmium contaminants in rice products. Combining big data and computer science together, this study developed a system named "SMART Cd Early Warning", which integrated 4 modules including genotype-to-phenotype (G2P) modelling, high-throughput sequencing, G2P prediction and rice Cd contamination risk assessment, for rice cadmium accumulation early warning. This system can rapidly assess the risk of rice cadmium accumulation by genotyping leaves at seeding stage. The parameters including statistical methods, population size, training population-testing population ratio, SNP density were assessed to ensure G2P model exhibited superior performance in terms of prediction precision (up to 0.76 ± 0.003) and computing efficiency (within 2 h). In field trials of cadmium-contaminated farmlands in Wenling and Fuyang city, Zhejiang Province, "SMART Cd Early Warning" exhibited superior capability for identification risk rice varieties, suggesting a potential of "SMART Cd Early-Warning system" in OsGCd risk assessment and early warning in the age of smart.

Accumulating studies have revealed gender differences in many aspects of schizophrenia (SZ), including obesity and cognitive function. The relationship between obesity and cognitive impairment in SZ has been studied before; however, the results are inconsistent. This study was designed to examine the sex differences in the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and cognitive deficits in Chinese patients with chronic SZ, which have not been investigated yet. 176 chronic patients with SZ (male/female = 108/68) and 200 controls (male/female = 120/80) were enrolled to compare the sex differences in cognitive functions measured by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), BMI, and their associations. The clinical symptoms were evaluated using the positive and negative syndrome scales (PANSS). Our results showed that male patients had lower BMI and more negative symptoms but fewer positive symptoms than female patients (all p R2 = 0.22. These findings revealed significant sex differences in BMI, cognitive dysfunctions and their association in SZ. Nonetheless, these results should only be considered as preliminary because of the cross-sectional design, which will deserve further replication in first-episode patients using a prospective longitudinal design.

Accurate genomic profiling for adult height is of high practical relevance in forensics genetics. Adult height is a classical reference trait in the field of human complex trait genetics characterized by highly polygenic nature and relatively high heritability. A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies by the Genetic Investigation of Anthropocentric Traits (GIANT) consortium has identified 697 DNA variants associated with adult height in Europeans; however, whether these variants will still be informative in non-Europeans is still in question. The present study investigated the predictive power of these 697 height-associated SNPs in 687 Uyghurs of European-Asian admixed origin. Among all GIANT SNPs, 11% showed nominally significant association (6.78 × 10−4

BACKGROUND The increased stroke risk associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) burden exceeding 5 min is a matter of debate. In addition, the potential linear or nonlinear relationship between AF burden and stroke risk has been largely unexplored. AIM To determine the association between AF burden > 5 min and the increased risk of stroke and explore the potential dose-response relationship between these two factors. METHODS Sixteen studies from six databases with 53141 subjects (mean age 65 years) were included. Fifteen studies were observational studies, and one was a randomized controlled trial study. The potential nonlinear dose-response association was characterized using a restricted cubic splines regression model. AF burden for each 1 h and 2 h was associated with an increased risk of stroke. Trial sequential analysis with a random-effect model was used to evaluate the robustness of the evidence from the included 16 studies. RESULTS AF burden > 5 min was associated with an increased risk of clinical AF [adjusted risk ratio (RR) = 4.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.26-7.74]. However, no association was found with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted RR = 1.55, 95%CI: 0.87-2.75). Patients with AF burden > 5 min had an increased risk of stroke (adjusted RR = 2.49, 95%CI: 1.79-3.47). Moreover, a dose-response analysis showed that the increased stroke risk was paralleled by an increase in AF burden at a rate of 2.0% per hour (Pnonlinear = 0.656, RR = 1.02, 95%CI: 1.01-1.03). Trial sequential analysis provided robust evidence of the association between AF burden > 5 min and an increased risk of stroke. CONCLUSION AF burden was a significant risk factor for clinical AF and future stroke. A significant linear association was documented between increased AF burden and risk of future stroke.

Accurate genomic profiling for adult height is of high practical relevance in forensics genetics. Adult height is a classical reference trait in the field of human complex trait genetics characterized by highly polygenic nature and relatively high heritability. A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies by the Genetic Investigation of Anthropocentric Traits (GIANT) consortium has identified 697 DNA variants associated with adult height in Europeans; however, whether these variants will still be informative in non-Europeans is still in question. The present study investigated the predictive power of these 697 height-associated SNPs in 687 Uyghurs of European-Asian admixed origin. Among all GIANT SNPs, 11% showed nominally significant association (6.78 × 10−4

Heavy metals may cause deleterious effects on human health through consumption of contaminated food crops. To assess the safety of soybean consumption, concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cd, As, Pb and Hg) in soybean grains sampled from the farmland in North Anhui (suitable for high-protein soybeans planting) were analyzed. The results showed that the concentrations of Ni, Cr, Cu and Pb in soybean gains exceeded the Chinese safety limits, with over-standard rate of 92.59%, 74.07%, 37.04% and 9.88% respectively. Spatial distribution of soybean pollution analysis showed that soybeans were severe polluted by Ni and concentrated in the west of North Anhui. SR-μXRF elemental maps of soybean gains indicated Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Hg specifically enriched at the embryo. In relation to health risks, there were no obvious non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic risk (CR) through ingesting soybeans from North Anhui. But it can induce a threat to people's health if the consumption of soybean exceeds the routine dose.

A panel of ancestry informative SNPs (AISNPs) can be used to analyze the genetic components of a population and infer the ancestral origin of a DNA sample. Previously, we have selected a 74-AISNPs panel and used it to infer the ancestry of unknown individuals in the following ten geographical regions: Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, Europe, Pacific, Americas, Southwest Asia, South Asia, North Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia. We have also established a 74-plex SNPs assay based on SEQUENOM system. In the present study, we genotyped 1371 individuals from 14 populations of China using this multiplex assay, and validated its ability to infer the ancestry in Chinese populations. Firstly, based on the reference database of 3628 individuals from 57 world populations, Structure and Heatmap were employed to evaluate the population differentiation capacity. The training data include 1654 individuals from 14 Chinese populations and 3 populations from 1K Genome, which are not included in the reference database. Then the likelihood ratio and ancestry components were analyzed for individual ancestry assignment using the 74-plex SNPs. The minimum amount of DNA required for a full genotype of the 74 SNPs is 1.5 ng, which is applicable for forensic analysis. The results demonstrate that this system can be used in differentiating the population from ten geographical regions. The ancestry inference accuracy for EUR/SAFR/AME population is 95.4%, 71.0% for East Asia and 66.4% for Southeast Asia respectively. The ancestry inference inclusive rate for EUR/SAFR/AME population is 1.06%, 17.9% for East Asia and 33.3% for Southeast Asia respectively. The results suggest that this method can be used in forensic investigations of criminal cases.使用一组祖源SNP可以分析某人群的遗传成分,推断某个体的族群来源。本课题组前期筛选出74个SNP位点实现了撒哈拉以南的非洲、北非、欧洲、美洲、大洋洲、南亚、西南亚、东亚、东北亚和东南亚等10个地理区域人群的推断,并基于MassARRAY质谱分析技术构建了74-plex SNPs复合检测体系。本研究利用该体系对14个中国人群1371份样本进行基因分型,验证评估该体系对中国人群的区分能力和法医学应用效能。首先,基于全球57个人群3628份个体构建参考人群分型库,采用Structure分析和等位基因频率热图等方法进行人群区分能力评估;然后,选取千人基因组计划中3个人群(不包含在参考人群分型库中)及本实验室检测的14个人群共计1654个体作为测试数据集,通过似然比和族群成分等统计分析,评估该体系对实际样本的族群来源推断能力。结果表明,DNA的量最低为1.5 ng时,74个SNP均可正确判型,适用于微量检材的检测;该体系对全球10个地理区域人群有区分能力,针对测试人群中欧洲、美洲、南部非洲个体族群来源推断的准确率为95.4%、不排除率为1.06%,东亚个体推断的准确率为71.0%、不排除率为17.9%,东南亚个体推断的准确率66.4%、不排除率为 33.3%。该方法可以为实际案件侦察提供线索。.

Cadmium is a toxic element with a half-life of more than a few decades that can be absorbed by crops and threaten human health. The problem of food security caused by cadmium through soil-crop systems has received great attention in China. Maize is a staple food widely cultivated throughout the world. However, the lack of systematic study makes it difficult to draw an accurate conclusion on its exact characteristics of cadmium accumulation and the corresponding health risk assessment. The availability of cadmium increased with the decrease of soil pH in acidic soil, enhancing the uptake of cadmium by crops and thus posing a major threat to food safety. In this study, the performance of kernel cadmium accumulation in abundant maize inbred and important hybrid lines were analyzed on acidic fields with different pollution levels in China. It was found that the kernel cadmium concentration both in inbred and hybrid lines showed left skewed distribution and concentrated significantly in a low interval under different soil cadmium gradients with good correlation. The classification of cadmium risk level in maize germplasm and cultivars and the analysis of soil cadmium threshold for maize safe planting can provide references to utilize the crop more feasibly and effectively. Maize may be an important staple crop to reduce human exposure to cadmium in agricultural soil.

In 1956, Jeśmanowicz conjectured that, for any positive integers $m$ and $n$ with $m>n$, $\gcd (m,n)=1$ and $2\nmid m+n$, the Diophantine equation $(m^{2}-n^{2})^{x}+(2mn)^{y}=(m^{2}+n^{2})^{z}$ has only the positive integer solution $(x,y,z)=(2,2,2)$. In this paper, we prove the conjecture if $4\nmid mn$ and $y\geq 2$.

// Mi-Ma Duo-Ji 1 , Ba-Sang Ci-Ren 1 , Zi-Wen Long 2, 3 , Xiao-Hua Zhang 1 and Dong-Lin Luo 1 1 Department of Medicine, Shigatse People’s Hospital, Shigatse 857000, P.R. China 2 Department of Gastric Cancer and Soft-Tissue Sarcoma Sugery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China 3 Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China Correspondence to: Zi-Wen Long, email: longziwensh@126.com Keywords: gastric cancer, fluorouracil, capecitabine, S-1, chemotherapy Received: July 11, 2016 Accepted: November 14, 2016 Published: January 14, 2017 ABSTRACT Objective : A network meta-analysis was performed to compare the short-term efficacy of different chemotherapy regimens in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. Methods : Randomized controlled trials of different chemotherapy regimens for advanced gastric cancer were included in this study. Network meta-analysis combined direct evidence and indirect evidence to evaluate the odds ratio and draw surface under the cumulative ranking curves of different chemotherapy regimens in advanced gastric cancer. Results : The results of surface under the cumulative ranking curves showed that S-1 and capecitabine regimens were better than fluorouracil. As for multi-drug combination regimens, the disease control rate of cisplatin + capecitabine, docetaxel + cisplatin + fluorouracil and etoposide + cisplatin + capecitabine regimens were relatively better, while fluorouracil + adriamycin + mitomycin regimen was relatively poorer when compared with cisplatin + fluorouracil regimen. Additionally, the overall response ratio of cisplatin + capecitabine, paclitaxel + fluorouracil, docetaxel + cisplatin + fluorouracil and etoposide + cisplatin + fluorouracil regimens were relatively better, while the disease control rate of fluorouracil + adriamycin + mitomycin regimen was relatively poorer when compared with cisplatin + fluorouracil regimen. Furthermore, the results of cluster analysis demonstrated that cisplatin + capecitabine, etoposide + cisplatin + capecitabine, S-1 + paclitaxel and S-1 + irinotecan chemotherapy regimens had better disease control rate and overall response ratio for advanced gastric cancer patients. Conclusion : This network meta-analysis clearly showed that multi-drug combination chemotherapy regimens based on capecitabine and S-1 might be the best chemotherapy regimen for advanced gastric cancer.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

This study directly compared the performance of a contralateral routing of signal (CROS)/bilateral routing of signal (BiCROS) and a soft-band bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) in patients with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and assessed the relationship between hearing aid benefits and personal factors. Participants with unilateral SNHL were prospectively enrolled in the study and were tested under the following three conditions: unaided, with CROS/BiCROS, and with soft-band BAHA. Sound localization, consonant, hearing in noise, and psychoacoustic tests were performed. Pseudobinaural benefits (e.g., squelch, summation, and head shadow effect) were obtained in both the CROS/BiCROS and soft-band BAHA conditions and compared to the unaided condition. Sound localization ability was not improved in either the CROS/BiCROS condition or soft-band BAHA condition. Rather, sound localization ability was significantly decreased in the CROS/BiCROS setting. A CROS/BiCROS hearing aid and a soft-band BAHA provided additional benefit for speech-in-noise perception when target speech was directed to the impaired ear side. The CROS/BiCROS hearing aid was superior to the soft-band BAHA one in decreasing the head shadow effect, but it appeared to have a negative effect when the noise was delivered to the better ear. The positive and negative effects of CROS/BiCROS for localization and speech perception were significantly correlated with personal factors such as age, hearing threshold in the better ear, and unaided psychoacoustic performances. Despite the lack of device acclimatization, we believe that this study provides counseling information for hearing aid clinics to use in the context of patients with unilateral SNHL.

Text A set A of positive integers is called d-complete if every sufficiently large integer is the sum of distinct terms taken from A such that no one divides the other. In 1996, Erdős and Lewin proved that the sequence { 2 α 5 β p γ } is d-complete for every prime p with 6 p 20 and commented that they cannot prove that the sequence { 2 α 5 β 23 γ } is d-complete. In this paper, we prove that, for any integer p > 6 with ( p , 10 ) = 1 , if there exists a number c = c ( p ) such that every integer n with c n 25 p c is the sum of distinct terms taken from { 2 α 5 β p γ } such that no one divides the other, then the sequence { 2 α 5 β p γ } is d-complete. In particular, we prove that the sequence { 2 α 5 β p γ } is d-complete for p ∈ { 9 , 21 , 23 , 27 , 29 , 31 } . Video For a video summary of this paper, please visit https://youtu.be/lq7XleRNLf8 .

Accurate genomic profiling for adult height is of high practical relevance in forensics genetics. Adult height is a classical reference trait in the field of human complex trait genetics characterized by highly polygenic nature and relatively high heritability. A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies by the Genetic Investigation of Anthropocentric Traits (GIANT) consortium has identified 697 DNA variants associated with adult height in Europeans; however, whether these variants will still be informative in non-Europeans is still in question. The present study investigated the predictive power of these 697 height-associated SNPs in 687 Uyghurs of European-Asian admixed origin. Among all GIANT SNPs, 11% showed nominally significant association (6.78 × 10

Arsenic accumulation in soil is a global problem typically addressed using phytoremediation methods. Pteris vittata, a model arsenic hyperaccumulator, has great potential as a genetically engineered plant for phytoremediation. However, the lack of omic information on this species has severely limited the identification and application of its arsenic hyperaccumulation and regulation components. In this study, we used an optimized single-molecular real-time (SMRT) strategy to create a de novo full-length transcriptomic-tonoplast proteomic database for this unsequenced fern and to determine the genetic components underlying its arsenic hyperaccumulation-regulation mechanisms. We established a comprehensive network consisting of six major transporter families, two novel resistance pathways, and a regulatory system by examining alternative splicing (AS) and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in different tissues following As(III) and As(V) treatment. The database and network established in this study will deepen our understanding of the unique hyperaccumulation and regulation mechanisms of P. vittata, ultimately providing a valuable resource for futher research on phytoremediation of arsenic-contaminated soil.